Tuesday, 27 June 2017

Introducing | Mel's Love

Since finishing university, I have made it a goal of mine to step out into the world of music with an open mind. Obviously, my love will always lie in rock and roll, but I have been branching out recently into other genres to explore what else is out there. Whether it's from falling in love with Selena Gomez's new single ('Bad Liar'), to discovering hip-hop groups and rappers of the 80s and 90s, I'm relishing in this newfound expansion of my musical taste. It has really opened my eyes as to how different genres all influence each other, and it's okay to love any type of music; no matter what people on the internet tell you.

A music genre that I have never experienced is UK Hip-Hop/Grime. Whilst I may not avidly listen to the genre, I have come to appreciate it through one of the most dedicated musicians I have ever come across - Mel's Love. Mel is most-known as a multi-award winning record studio owner, opening (and operating) 'the UK's first ever pay-as-you-go recording studio in Jan 2004 based in East London by the name of Instant Melodies.' Working as a studio owner/producer Mel was worked with Shola and Sade Ama, Lifford Shillingford (Artful Dodger), Rodney P. Big Narstie, Dot Rotten, Mista Silva (MOBO Nominee 2016), Ruth Brown (Dream Girls West End 2017) and Tayna Lacey (The Voice semi-finalist 2017). She has since decided to venture back out into the music industry as a solo-artist, with prior experience in an all-female garage group Bad Girls in the early 2000s.

In the press release, Mel describes her music as 'an environmental representation of what I've become exposed to as a child right through to adulthood, and living in a capital with so much cultural diversity I've come to appreciate the sounds and voices of so many'.

'I am therefore blinded by separation and consider myself as one fragment of a whole globe and I want my music to be viewed no differently.'

It’s extremely refreshing to see women striving in any genre
of music, and Mel is a perfect example of this. She completely owns her debut
single ‘It’s Over’, with her insane talent and style that originally got her
noticed in 2001 after being ‘head hunted by a top industry scout in 2001 [due
to her] fast spitting rolling tongue and melodic style’, leading to Bad Girls
getting signed to a small independent record label – Fragile Records. However,
as is mentioned in the bio of the press release, ‘less than a year in Mel was
soon to get her taste of heartaches when she decided to walk away from a chance
of being signed with a major label. The deal offered next to no creative
control which she felt was too big a compromise.’ Mel decided to stick with her
heart rather than an ego, and preceded to follow her desire in creating music
with raw emotion and desire.

This raw emotion and desire can inherently be seen in ‘It’s
Over’. Collaborating with the legendary American rapper Da Brat (Shawntae
Harris), the two flow seamlessly together, with Da Brat ‘stamp[ing] the chorus
with a sign of approval using her signature sound which she delivers with
absolute fire.’ Mel has already proved her worth with her years of experience
in the industry in multiple positions, but it can definitely be seen here that Mel
has found herself back behind the mic effortlessly. As stated in the press
release:

'Her experimentation and unconventional approach to song making means no two tracks she creates are likely to follow the same structure or formula as she explores the origins of sound creation and its evolution throughout the ages.'

Watch Mel's debut single below, and for more information on Mel's Love visit her website here.